Come Dance With Me
by RoosterHawk
Summary: Dance long into the night my love, embrace this nameless bliss. For when the night is over, it will end with love's true kiss. J/7


**Come Dance With Me**

**By Zenarraus J. Armez**

**Disclaimer: **Star Trek Voyager is the property of Paramount, I own nothing and none of the characters except for the occasional OC I create and place in the ST universe... which I don't own. This story also includes a sexual relationship between women, not your cup of tea go somewhere else. No archiving without my express permission.

I should probably throw in I used parts of the lyrics from the Scary Bitches' song "Come Dance With Me" as this whole story was in a weird way inspired by that song, so kudos to them owning it and not me.

* * *

The sleek intrepid class starship Voyager glided through space with a peaceful rumble, it had been weeks since the ship or her crew had seen any alien life forms of a hostile nature. For the time being all onboard could take a deep breath and enjoy the peace and quiet… well all except Voyager's captain.

Captain Kathryn Janeway was in an unexplainably dark mood, had been for the past month or so. There was no apparent reason for the fiery red head's morbid depression all of a sudden and it had several of the senior staff worried. Worried most of all was Seven of Nine, former Borg drone and current Astrometrics officer aboard Voyager. Seven felt it was her actions that had brought this change over her captain, but how to fix what she had done… take back what she had said… she didn't know.

The young blond woman was a close friend of the captain's, the two women often playing rounds of velocity on the holodeck or sharing philosophical discussions in Janeway's quarters late into the night. Seven had at first resented Janeway for severing her from the collective but she soon found herself willing to do anything for the older woman, for Seven, Janeway was the universe... she was perfection held within the body of a supposedly imperfect being. Seven was not ignorant of the feelings she experienced around her captain, simply inexperienced. The physical and emotional changes that occurred in the red head's presence were overwhelming to the point of Seven finally going to see the Doctor thinking something was malfunctioning in her body, she understood the concept of desire but had not taken into account just how much it would distract her. When Janeway was around her she couldn't focus and would think thoughts that were not relevant to the conversation, how small the other woman's hands were, how good she smelt, the curve in the bridge of her nose, how soft her lips looked… all little details of the other woman that she constantly noticed and thought about while Janeway was around.

Seven thought that would be the extent of her distraction, only in her presence, but even when her captain was absent she would still think of these minuscule details. It was like Janeway wasn't there but her presence lingered in Seven's mind. One way or another Janeway would always distract and overtake her thoughts. It did not truly begin to scare Seven until she accidentally initiated a warp core overload while thinking about what to say to her captain when she saw her later, she had become too accustomed to 'spacing out' as she had heard it called.

Finally unable to stand her silent torture any longer Seven had appeared one night like on many other nights to have a discussion with the object of her obsession, she could remember the entire conversation with disturbing detail.

************ About One Month Ago ************

Sweaty palmed Seven reached forward slowly to press the chime for admittance into the captain's quarters.

"Come!" Came a soft call from inside as the doors opened. When Seven entered she could see Janeway in her immediate view reclining on the small sofa in her quarters, an open book lay forgotten on her chest as she smiled up at the taller woman. "Hello Seven, what can I do for you?"

"Am I disturbing you captain?" Seven asked, more to stall then having any real concern that she was interrupting something. Janeway being busy would never have stopped her from saying what she wanted to before.

"No, just reading a little before I go to bed." Janeway placed a marker in her book and stood up to walk over to the replicator, "Go ahead and have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

Seven walked over to the couch and sat down gingerly, "I do not require liquid refreshment at this time…" As an after thought she added, "Thank you for offering."

Janeway chuckled, "I should I guessed that would be the answer." Then to the replicator, "Coffee, black."

"It would not be wise to consume a caffeinated beverage if you plan on going to sleep soon captain." Seven chastised softly.

Janeway turned and lifted the mug to her lips with a grin, "Wise words but I would choose coffee over sleep any day." Already seeing the argument coming on Janeway raised her hand before any further words about her coffee consumption and sleeping habits could be said. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk about Seven?" She asked while taking another sip of her coffee.

Seven let a pause linger as Janeway came to settle onto the cushion beside her, taking a deep breath she turned to face the other woman, "I believe I am in love with you."

Janeway promptly spat her coffee across the room, both the rest of the coffee and the cup ended up spilt and forgotten on the ground as she tried to clear her windpipes.

Seven reached out to steady her captain and was horrified when Janeway flinched away from her… to Seven it appeared almost as if the other woman was repulsed by her declaration. After regaining her composer Janeway sputtered, "You think… you think you, what?!"

"I should not have come." Seven, embarrassed and none but a bit afraid of the other woman's now hysterical state, stood up to leave. "I'm sorry if I repulse you captain, I will not bring this up again… goodnight."

"Seven wait!" Janeway shouted, she reached out and grabbed Seven's left hand to keep her from fleeing. Once she was sure she had Seven's attention and the other woman wouldn't just run away she spoke again, this time in a lower voice, "Seven you don't repulse me, what could ever make you think that?"

Seven looked down at the floor, "My implants, I am imperfect."

Janeway gently lifted Seven's chin so she could look into the other woman's blue eyes, "Seven your implants could never repulse me, they are a part of who you are," She cleared her throat to keep it from taking on a husky burr, "and you're very be... you are my best friend, what matters is what's inside your heart not how you look on the outside."

Seven felt her remaining human eye begin to water and she blinked several times before speaking, "Then is it my love that is wrong?"

Janeway flinched slightly hearing the word love, it was the word she had longed to hear fall from Seven's lips directed at her but she couldn't take advantage of her friend in what was so obviously a confusion for some type of hero worship or the crush a student often develops for their teacher.

"No, Seven, no not wrong, you were just too hasty in labeling these feelings," Janeway explained calmly, when Seven looked up at her with questioning eyes she felt a bit more in control of where this conversation would go. No matter how much it hurt Janeway was going to try and make Seven see that this wasn't love for someone in a romantic nature but simply a strong bond of friendship, not only so Seven wouldn't be bound to someone married to her ship but also to keep from breaking a certain 'guideline' mentioned in the prime directive.

Seven was about to speak but Janeway lifted up a hand to forestall whatever she was going to say, "Seven what you're probably feeling is only a misplaced sense of what we call hero worship. You and I are very close, we consider each other friends and we've told each other things that we probably haven't told anybody else. It's what best friends do but," She took a deep breath to say what she had been meaning to get to this whole time only to find herself interrupted by a very angry Seven of Nine.

"You think my feelings of love are not genuine?" Seven snapped coldly, "That I am mistaking _hero worship_ for a want to engage in a personal relationship with you?"

Janeway opened her mouth to speak but was once again silenced by the former Borg, this time by the press of Seven's lips against her own. The kiss held more passion than experience but it was enough to send Janeway's self control careening over some unknown precipice and down into oblivion.

With a whimper of defeat Kathryn Janeway gave into her desire no matter how much the voice of reason in her mind screamed for her to pull away.

Kathryn's hands reached up to cup either side of Seven's face as she deepened the kiss, her tongue came out to glide over the younger woman's bottom lip probing for admittance into the wet heat hidden behind them. Seven gave herself over willingly, allowing the other woman to explore the contours of her mouth while her hands wandered down to find the edge of her captain's grey T-shirt, she wanted to feel the other woman's flesh against her own more then anything else in the world at that moment.

Alarm claxons sounded in he back of Janeway's mind when she felt Seven's exploring hands reach down to pull up her shirt. As if she had just been slapped in the face she jerked away from Seven and fell unceremoniously off the couch and onto the ground right in the wet stain of coffee on the floor.

Seven reached down to help her captain up but Janeway batted her hands away, "I'm fine." Seven watched with a sinking feeling as Janeway began to pace, wet bum and all, in front of the coffee table.

"Seven that shouldn't have happened." The red head announced firmly, finally turning to face the other woman.

"Yes it should have." Seven stated equally as firm, though inside she was quaking with the fear of absolute rejection. That kiss had meant something to both of them and she knew it, the longing to not be alone anymore had been transmitted in the short joining of their lips and she wasn't just going to let that be forgotten. "Whether you accept that fact or not, it _is_ true." With a very uncharacteristic sigh she continued softly, "I do not know how to proceed… if this relationship is to flourish you must take the first step."

"That's just it Seven!" Janeway burst out before she could stop herself, "It can't 'flourish', I am your captain and you are a member of my crew, there are rules against such a union! I have to think about how this would impact the ship and crew!"

"So you intended to stay alone this entire journey?" Seven asked numbly.

Janeway lowered her voice this time, "I'm the captain. I can't have the luxury of a relationship."

Seven looked at her disbelievingly for a few seconds before a single tear rolled down her cheek, she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with the way the conversation was going. With a heavy heart Seven turned on her heal and walked towards the doors, she stopped just before they opened and looked over her shoulder at the woman she loved, in a whisper she said brokenly. "I love you and no other, Kathryn. If you choose to be alone on this journey I will be alone with you."

Janeway watched her leave and then slumped down on her couch tiredly, she rested her face in her hands and sobbed at what she could see as nothing more then a love lost. Her heart felt torn between her duty, her fear and the love she so desperately wanted to embrace.

That was when it had started.

Janeway's mood had darkened more and more since that night, she grew colder, did not touch her closer friends like she used to, she avoided Seven… she was turning into a recluse onboard a ship where it was nearly impossible for anyone to avoid anyone else indefinitely. Her perky mood was gone, replaced by indifference to almost everything. It seemed the only thing she wanted to do was work, drink coffee and then return to her quarters to brood. Tuvok, Chakotay and Neelix had all approached her on different occasions only to be told, in no uncertain terms, to mind their own business. Tuvok had told her she was being illogical, Chakotay had offered to let her speak to her animal guide and Neelix had nearly pissed his pants when he found himself at the receiving end of her anger at everyone bothering her all of a sudden.

But Janeway wasn't the only one suffering. Seven felt as if her heart had been ripped out when Janeway stopped speaking to her and cut off every activity the two normally shared together, she'd even ignored Seven's hails on two separate occasions. Seven didn't know what hurt more, loosing her best friend and mentor because she had let what she thought were beautiful emotions out into the open or the knowledge that the love of her life no longer wanted anything to do with her, most likely both but even more the latter. Janeway was one of very few friends she had and the older woman had been her constant source of understanding for humanity, she could talk to her whenever she needed to… but now the link was severed. Just like when her link was severed from the hive mind she found herself alone, but at least when she was severed from the borg Janeway had been there to accept her, now she didn't even have that connection.

B'Elanna, Voyager's chief of engineering, had noticed Seven's sulky mood and the captain's sudden scarcity. She'd deduced a long time ago that the two had some pretty strong emotions flowing between them but neither, for their own reasons, would say anything about them. Well until now at least, one of them had to have said something because now it was affecting her on two sides and to say she found it frustrating was an understatement. Seven wasn't regenerating when she needed to which left her time to skulk about in engineering once she finished everything she could possibly do in Astrometrics and because of her lack of regeneration she wasn't working at 'peak efficiency'. Each time B'Elanna told the captain something was up with the former borg she would be told the same line each time, 'Seven's a grown woman she can take care of herself but I'll report this to the Doctor. Dismissed.'

But the Doctor had little control over Seven, being so saddened made her even more stubborn to receive help or advice from anyone. She had made it quite clear that she would only be receiving help from one person and that was Janeway.

************ Present Time ************

Janeway sat brooding in her ready room, the pad she had been reading lay forgotten on her desk. She hadn't been able to focus on her work completely since her talk with Seven, she honestly didn't know if she could continue on her present course of avoidance… it was starting to wear her down when she saw just how weary Seven looked from across the conference room table during the weekly meetings held by the senior staff. The knowledge that she was the one who'd caused Seven to have those dark circles under her eyes made her resolve weaken every time she saw the other woman she just wanted to wrap Seven up in her arms and make everything all right. She didn't want to cause the other woman pain but she wasn't quite ready to give in, she didn't know if she ever would be ready. She had fears and doubts of her own that she needed to keep under control… but most of all she feared falling in love and saying those three words.

Everyone she had ever said those three precious words to had left her in some way or another, Justin, her father, Mark, even her mother and sister were gone now with a slim chance of her ever seeing them again. For her 'I love you' was a sure fire way to make the person you love disappear, fate had something against her when she said those words to people and the idea of loosing Seven hurt too much to think about. She just wouldn't say those words to the other woman, she wouldn't embark in a relationship she felt was sure to end once she found herself at peace and truly happy. Even if Seven hated her for withholding her true feelings at least there would be a Seven alive to hate her in the first place.

But then came the other heartache, what if Seven did move on? What if she found someone else to be with? Just the idea made Janeway's hackles rise and her heart start thumping painfully in her chest, she couldn't stand the thought of anyone else being with Seven in a romantic capacity. So what was she supposed to do, put a leash on the former borg and keep her from embarking on any relationships with anyone else? She clamped down on the mental images that thought evoked, she couldn't do that and she couldn't very well tell Seven to stay away from anyone else who tried to proposition her for a good time. Seven was a grown woman with needs just like she had… _'So why won't you help her along with those needs?' _Her inner voice supplied devilishly before Janeway could snuff it out, she didn't know whether she should be worried or amused that the little voice sounded like B'Elanna.

'_Come on she says she loves you and you love her, I don't see the problem here!' _Janeway sighed in frustration and stood up to get another cup of coffee to settle her nerves, not that her nerves would steady after she drank it, she hadn't slept in two days because of just how much coffee she'd been drinking to steady her nerves.

'_You can't avoid it Katie.'_ Her inner voice said darkly.

"Shut up!" Janeway startled herself and nearly dropped her coffee when she actually spoke to her inner voice out loud, "God I need a break and some sleep…" she said tiredly while rubbing at her eyes.

The admittance chime to her ready room chirped and she didn't even look up at the doors while calling, "Come!" to whomever it was. She took her seat back behind the ready room table and looked up to see her burly first officer entering with a grim look on his face. Janeway's brow furrowed as the only show of her worry, "Anything wrong commander?"

"Seven of Nine was transported to sickbay, I thought you would want to know." Chakotay said quickly.

The commander had always though he would be the one Kathryn eventually chose to be with in a relationship, it had sort of snuck up and bit him in the butt when he started seeing hints of her interest in Seven and he was even more surprised to see her interest returned. He fought valiantly to try and win back Janeway's attention and possible romantic attraction, to bring the spark back between them but he knew when he was beat, she wasn't in the least interested in him as anything more then a friend anymore. If a friend was all he could be then he would try to be the best he could for her and right now she needed a friend.

Janeway placed her coffee cup down on her desk with a slight slam, "What?! Why wasn't I informed by the Doctor? I should be informed when things happen to- my crew!" She was about to say_ Seven_ but that would have been more then she was ready to reveal at this point, "What happened?"

Chakotay put his hands up in a calming gesture, "Nothing serious, she fainted in one of the Jeffries tubes while doing a minor repair B'Elanna had assigned her to do. B'Elanna hailed her to see how it was going and when she got no reply she went in to get her. The Doctor said she was simply exhausted and needs to regenerate for at least three days to make up for about a weeks worth of inconsistent regenerative cycles. He placed her in her alcove a few minutes ago."

Janeway relaxed marginally and made a mental note to thank B'Elanna… for something else, but really it would be for thinking of going after Seven. She would bet a weeks replicators rations that anyone else would have just thought Seven was ignoring them, which wasn't so uncharacteristic of the young woman.

"Thank you for telling me commander, was that all?" Chakotay could already see his window of opportunity dwindling when her command tones began to seep back into her speech.

"Kathryn is anything wrong?" His voice softened and he took a few more steps towards her desk, a sure sign that he wanted to talk to Kathryn and not the captain.

"I don't know what you're getting at." Janeway shot back testily, even a bit of prying sent her into a bad mood.

"Oh I think you do, is it something Seven did?" He prodded gently.

Janeway looked up at him sharply, "Seven has done nothing but work exceptionally for the past two years, I don't know what you could be insinuating she has done wrong. Is it so impossible to believe that I can suffer a bad mood?"

Chakotay shook his head, "No Kathryn but you started acting…" the Indian man knew he was walking a fine line by saying what he was about to but someone had to speak to her or she would just keep it bottled up inside, "moody, around the same time Seven did. Please Kathryn you can talk to me, I'd like to think we're friends."

Janeway sighed and rested her head against her chest, "Yes… yes we are friends and yes Seven did do something but it was nothing wrong."

Chakotay's brow furrowed in confusion, "If she didn't do anything wrong then why are you two acting so out of sorts? I've never seen you tear into a crewman like you did Malcophski, I was waiting for him to break down crying."

Janeway glowered at him and pursed her lips, "He tripped into the tactical station and nearly blew a hole into the back of that Dreklirian ship that was escorting us."

"On accident." Chakotay pointed out again, "The reprimand you gave him could have unsettled even Tuvok, he really didn't deserve your full ire." He'd meant that last part as a small joke to lighten the mood but it had the opposite effect.

"Fine he was just someone to blow off steam on! What do you want me to say? I was a bad captain for taking my personal issues out on a crewman?" She stood up from her seat and came around the desk, her whole body screamed hostility. Chakotay realized with a sinking feeling that he'd overstepped some invisible line. "Are going to put me on report for it? Maybe you'd like to be captain for awhile?!"

She was well into his personal space now, looking up at him with her famous force ten glare. Chakotay took a small step back but she moved right with him, he'd never seen her this quick to anger before, or this angry at all for that matter. Chakotay stopped backing up when he realized she was chasing him straight towards the ready room doors, a few more steps back and she could have easily pushed him out, steeling his nerves he stood still and let her get chest to chest with him. It was incredibly hard not to back up, the anger was almost palatable and it seemed to roll off of her in waves, this was obviously an outburst that had been long held in.

"Maybe you'd like the responsibility to hold up this impossible image for the crew, to make yourself out to be someone above human frailty." Without even really realizing it she was finally saying what Chakotay had been trying to get her to say since the beginning, to tell him what was really wrong, "To tell the person you love that you can't be with them because you're their captain and watch them suffer for it…"

Janeway's head lowered and a wave of grief settled over her, the venom was gone from her words as she realized just how much she'd said, she hadn't meant for him or anyone else to know until she knew how she felt herself. This conversation had gotten away from her the moment he got her dander up, reaching up she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath before looking back at Chakotay.

"Was that what you wanted to know Chakotay?" She asked tiredly.

Chakotay's brown eyes filled with compassion and for a moment he had the urge to reach out and rest his hand on her arm like she'd done for him on so many occasions when he needed a comforting hand, but he didn't want to break the moment by invading her personal space anymore then he was at the moment.

"Do you really think that the crew would look down on you for being happy?" Janeway looked up at him uncertainly, "If that's so then you underestimate them. Crew moral has been low since you've been acting this way just like it did last time you secluded yourself from the crew and stayed in your quarters all the time." His voice grew serious, "If anything moral is higher when the crew sees you happy. They wouldn't think any less of you if you entered into a relationship with Seven, it might take a few people some time to adjust to it but over all your happiness is more important to them then some image of a hero you project."

For the first time in the past month a small smile appeared on Janeway's face, "Do you honestly think that?"

"Yes I really do." Chakotay said with a smile of his own.

Janeway suddenly looked nervous, she really had no idea how to salvage what she had done. Seven was a naturally forgiving person, often overlooking and forgiving things that most people would hold grudges over for a long time but she had played the avoidance game and that was no easy thing to forgive. "My god how do I fix this?" She asked out loud before she could stop herself.

Chakotay took the liberty of walking over to sit on her ready room couch, "Maybe you should go talk to her now?"

Janeway grabbed up her cup of cold coffee and went to replicate them both fresh cups, "I can't she'll be regenerating for the next three days and I'll be damned if I'm going to interrupt it just to tell her… well I don't know what I'm going to tell her."

"So maybe this is a good thing." Chakotay said as he took the cup she offered him.

Janeway sat down and took a sip of her hot brew, "I have three days to figure out how to ask her to forgive me and to tell her… I only have three days..."

Chakotay noted the pause but didn't say anything about it, some things were just better left alone. When no immediate plans were forth coming from his captain, Chakotay turned the conversation over to helping her out with all the departmental records strewn about her desk.

Though they worked and talked about the contents of each padd her mind chanted over and over in a mantra, three days, three days, three days…

************ Three Days Later ************

"Regeneration cycle complete." The emotionless female voice of the computer intoned dully.

Seven disengaged from her alcove and stepped off its dais with the same empty feeling in her chest that she'd felt for nearly a month, she didn't know if she could live with this feeling forever. For her there was nothing special about this day, she would have to go about her work with no visits or communication with the woman she loved, her friend, her captain… her Kathryn. The prospect of this was painfully unbearable but she couldn't do anything about it besides wait patiently for Kathryn to make her choice. Seven couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut that Kathryn had chosen and she had chosen to reject Seven rather then embrace their love.

'_Or maybe she was not in love.'_ Seven thought brokenly, _'Perhaps our kiss was merely her responding to the stimulation and physical contact.'_

With a pout being the only outward sign of her depressing thoughts she went over to her work station and was surprised to see a blinking light on her console indicating a received message, tapping a few controls she accessed the message.

'_Come dance with me. _

_Even though you feel you can't dance anymore and you want to lay down with exhaustion, I ask that you please dance once more and that you share this last dance with me._

_Holodeck one, 1900 hours._

_-KJ'_

"Kathryn Janeway." Seven breathed with both excitement and apprehension. What had happened in the last three days that would make her captain suddenly communicate with her again? The message itself held nothing but confusion for Seven, the reference to dancing made little sense since she had only danced on two occasions and those were with her first date and the Doctor. Her first date having had his ligament torn in the act, suffice to say it had not gone well and she had only danced with the Doctor after he assured her that he was photonic and therefore had no ligaments to tear. She had not been dancing as of late and was in no way exhausted by it, she would simply have to ask the captain for clarification on the messages meaning. Her heartbeat sped up at the prospect of being near the red head again and actually being able to ask her to clarify something. She placed a steadying hand on her console, she had no wish to faint again… it had not been a thrilling experience. She set off to Astrometrics with a slightly more determined mindset but her mind couldn't help but wander to try and place the meaning of Janeway's letter to her.

* * *

Janeway sat in the dark of her quarters trying to calm herself, she had spent an hour of her off duty time for the last three days simply watching Seven regenerate in her alcove. The peaceful look on the blonde's face helped ground her decision, she wanted Seven to be happy and at peace, she never wanted to see the weariness or dark circles on the other woman's face again. She hoped that what she was doing was the right thing, she still couldn't help her own fears from resurfacing to make her doubt her decision, she couldn't help feeling like she was taking advantage of Seven's innocents.

She had just been informed by the computer about ten minutes ago that Seven's regeneration cycle had ended and her message was sent accordingly. _'No turning back now.' _She'd thought with an apprehensive sigh.

She just had to keep it together for the both of them, she had to lead this dance…

************ Holodeck One 1900 Hours ************

Seven approached the holodeck doors slowly, her stomach was 'full of butterflies' as she had heard Naomi, the first child born on Voyager, put it. She was hoping that slowing the inevitable would make them recede but it only seemed to amplify the feeling and she suddenly had the uncharacteristic urge to use the lavatory. She stood just outside the sensors for the holodeck doors and brushed her hands down over her dress before touching her hair gently. She was wearing a red sleeveless dress with her hair down from its normally austere twist, she felt awkward in such attire but after speaking to the Doctor about dancing he suggested she wear a dress more suited to such an activity.

Taking a shaky breath she finally walked within the holodeck door's sensors. She entered into a dimly lit restaurant and bar, it was empty of all occupants except for the barman, a few waiters on break smoking cigarettes and the band on stage. Soft jazz music flitted through the air as the band on the stage to her right played a purely instrumental tune, the atmosphere was very relaxing, to Seven it was as if Janeway had known just how to make her feel more comfortable.

Janeway stood up when she saw Seven across the room and all the breath left her lungs at the sight of the younger woman, she was glowing. There was no other word for how radiant she looked standing in the doorway, the light from behind her lighting her up like an angel, if she squinted Janeway could almost see a halo of light focused around Seven's blond hair.

Seven looked around for a moment before spotting her captain on the other side of the room towards the back of the establishment, she wouldn't have seen her if she hadn't been standing up. As Seven drew closer she couldn't help but gasp at how lovely the other woman looked. Janeway was wearing a deep blue dress with spaghetti straps and her hair… her hair was the same but different, Seven couldn't place it to be honest, the way it flowed looked rougher and Seven had to resist the urge to reach out and run her fingers through it.

"Seven." Janeway said huskily, she cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed at the wanton tone in her voice, "Its… good to see you."

"It is also good to see you, captain." Seven replied haltingly.

The two of them stood there awkwardly until Janeway came around the table and pulled out Seven's chair for her, "Please sit." She asked softly. Seven sat down slowly and looked up at the other woman with wide eyes. Janeway went back around the table and sat down in her own chair right when the waiter came over to place two champagne glasses on the table and leave a bottle in a bucket of ice on a stand by their table for when they decided to open it. Janeway was staring over at the band in an attempt to relax but it was no use, she could feel Seven's eyes boring into her.

"Captain…" Seven began softly, afraid to break the spell Janeway seemed to be under while listening to the band play, "I was curious as to the meaning of your message."

"Kathryn." Janeway said in return, her chin rested on her hand as she continued to look at the band.

Seven blinked confusedly but Janeway didn't elaborate further, "Captain?"

"Kathryn." Janeway said again, this time turning her face so she could look Seven in the eyes, "When we are alone together I would like you to call me Kathryn… I don't want to be a rank with you."

Seven inhaled sharply, she felt her human eye beginning to water and she did not wish for the capt- for Kathryn to worry that her cortical node was malfunctioning again so she focused he greater part of her concentration on keeping it from fallings.

"Kathryn," Seven tested the name, she had said it once before but that time had not gone as planned, "Will you explain the message Kathryn?"

Janeway smiled slightly, "Not yet," she reached over to pop open the bottle by their table, "After."

"You are being very cryptic." Seven stated softly with a small pout to her lips, she held out her glass and watched the red head pour her a drink of the burnish yellow liquid, "Alcohol inhibits my-"

Janeway chuckled, "It's not really champagne Seven, its called sparkling cider. It doesn't contain alcohol."

Seven looked down at the drink before sniffing it delicately, she took a sip and placed it back on the table, "It is very good, thank you."

"Glad you like it," A waiter came over and took their orders, most of the menu was in French so Seven just picked what Janeway picked, something that had to do with roast duck and a type of herbal mushroom soup.

When the waiter had gone Seven looked back to Janeway, "Why did you invite me here Kathryn?"

She had wanted to ask Janeway if this was a date but she feared knowing exactly what it was to the other woman. She would consider it a date to help ease her own pain, it helped marginally but it did not alleviate it all, nothing but love returned would help ease this pain.

Janeway felt a nervous burst of heat form in her belly and head straight up to her face, blushing she took a sip of her own drink before replying, "I miss you Seven, I want… I want us to be friends again."

Seven gasped again and for a second she felt rather dizzy, she grabbed the edge of the table and wobbled slightly, "Kathryn…"

"Please let me finish." Janeway sad quickly, she had to say all she needed to before she lost her nerve, "Seven I'm sorry for disregarding your feelings, that was wrong of me… I guess you just surprised me and I was a bit afraid…"

Quite breathless, "Kathryn…"

"I just think maybe… maybe over time we can be more then friends…. But only if you still want to of course and I can understand if you don't want to…"

"I am having difficulty breathing." Seven announced haltingly, her hands now clutching the table in an iron grip.

Kathryn nodded, "I know I feel the same…" She was about to speak again when she finally looked up at her companion's pale face, "Seven!"

Janeway leapt out of her chair and grabbed the other woman by her shoulders before she could slide onto the floor. "Seven!" Janeway shook the blond, "Seven breath!"

Finally Seven gasped in a lung full of air and at the same time tears streamed freely from her right eye, she was no longer focusing solely on holding them in.

"Seven are you alright?" Janeway asked worriedly, she was still holding onto the other woman's shoulders while kneeling beside the chair, she reached up one hand and brushed a few blond strands away from Seven's face and behind her ear.

Seven just cried, she didn't like the idea of looking so vulnerable but she really couldn't hold them in any longer, she had wanted to cry since the moment Janeway had told her they couldn't be together. Now she was crying out of joy and she didn't understand it.

Janeway just comforted her, she understood, she would be there to explain once Seven could talk and the younger woman felt fresh tears arriving at the knowledge that she was no longer alone.

Janeway felt tears brimming in her own eyes from simply seeing this normally collected woman breaking down before her, she'd put those tears there and now she was making them disappear, Seven wouldn't be plagued by the urge to cry as long as there was a breath in her body.

Seven sniffled a few times and the tears receded, Janeway reached out and picked up one of the red cloth napkins for Seven to wipe her face with, "Better?"

Seven nodded with a small shy smile, "I do not understand. I thought one only cried when sad, I am not sad."

Janeway rested her hand on the side of Seven's face and rubbed her thumb over the stain left by her salty tears, "People cry when they are happy or sad, it's just when there is so much emotion that you can't hold it in, it has to come out."

Seven reached up and rested her hand over Janeway's, "I am very happy Kathryn… did you really mean what you said before?"

Janeway had said a lot before and didn't know exactly what Seven meant but all of what she had said earlier was true either way, "Yes, it was all true…"

For the past three days Janeway had thought long and hard about entering into a relationship with the other woman, she wanted to more then anything and she no longer feared those three words. She realized that she had to take that chance and say those words because fate wasn't kind and if she didn't say them soon… something could happen and Seven would never know. The idea that either she or Seven might die along their journey home finally knocked it into her brain that instead of withholding those three words in fear, she should say them whenever she had the chance so Seven would always know that she loved her, that she was loved.

"I love you Seven."

For the first time in over twenty years Seven smiled a full blown wide open smile that put wrinkles up by the corners of her eyes and showed all her pretty white teeth, it took Janeway's breath away, "Oh Kathryn, as I do you."

The waiter, feeling it was safe to come close, arrived with their food but neither woman really wanted to eat anymore. Janeway's fingers tingled with the thought of holding Seven close to her and she knew it was time, stepping up from her kneeling position she took a step back and held out her hand, "Come dance with me?"

The smile on Seven's face was not as wide as before but she was still smiling none the less as she took her love's hand.

Janeway led them out onto the open area for dancing and pulled Seven close, the band saw that as their queue to play another song this time accompanied by a young woman's voice and Seven recognized one of Janeway's favorite songs, _Why Try to Change Me Now_. Janeway took the lead and moved them slowly around the dance floor, she relished the feel of the other woman moving against her and the hands resting gently on her hips.

"Kathryn," Seven's breath ghosted through her hair as she whispered into the shorter woman's ear, "You never did explain the meaning of your message."

Janeway smiled and moved both her hands to Seven's back to pull her closer and whisper up into her ear, "In a way you asked me to dance, I said no so you danced alone. I could see you becoming exhausted trying to hold up after not getting that dance."

Janeway moved her hands up to Seven's shoulders and rested her head underneath Seven's chin, she let the other woman switch to leading while she swayed along with her, "I was asking you to take a chance on me one more time, this time I asked you for the dance."

Janeway leaned back in Seven's arms and looked deep into her azure eyes, "For me it would have been my last time asking anyone for a dance, because the only one I want to dance with is you."

An errant tear escaped Janeway's eye and she swiped it away with a silly smile, Seven reached up and touched her cheek, "I will only dance with you Kathryn, I love you." Her hand slid behind the other woman's neck and she leaned down slowly to place a gentle kiss upon Janeway's lips.

The kiss was long and sweet, Janeway was the one to pull away for air first, sighing happily she rested her head against Seven's shoulder. Seven's hand came up to cradle the back of Janeway's head and her other arm held her in a protective embrace, she wished this dance would go on forever, that the music would never end.

Later that night they resumed in a different dance of light touches, soft strokes and cries of pleasure. They'd found their partner and never were they to dance with any others besides each other ever again.

**The End**

_**Authors Note**_

_Wow, longest story I've written so far. :D Let see if you can find the hidden song reference in the story. ;)_


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